Pros And Cons Of A Blind Ad

December 29, 1996|By Barbara B. Buchholz. Special to the Tribune.

If you've wondered whether the odds of getting a response and landing a job through a blind ad--the kind with a box number rather than a company name and a slightly secretive position and location--are any better than winning at Lotto, it depends on the company, its reasons for using the ad and the job market, says Marsha Smagley of Myerson Smagley Inc., career consultants in Highland Park.

"I think there's only about a 5 percent likelihood you'll get a job, though the fact there's some percentage at all means people have been hired," she said.

Many good jobs do come through blind ads. Pat Johnson McGunn, head of McGunn Safe Co., which manufactures safes for businesses, frequently uses blind ads. She tries to weed out those looking by requiring some work on the applicant's part. She'll ask in an ad for candidates to reply to questions such as: Tell me how you've been successful?

Because of the sheer volume of responses that usually descend on a hiring director's desk after such ads run, it's better to reply when your experience--or lack of experience--dovetails with the ad's request. Curriculum vitae that don't match the search are likely to be tossed.

Be forewarned that there may be no job. Some companies float ads simply to see what talent exists in case the need arises or to find out what the market is paying. If you're still game, consider outplacement guru John Challenger's optimistic counsel: "You really have nothing to lose in most cases. If you get the job, you can study the company and the decision is yours."